


love has always had a way of having bad timing

by iwillwalk500miles



Series: Genesis' White Rose Week Prompts for 2020!! [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Light Angst, POV Ruby Rose, POV Third Person Limited, Pre-Relationship, Present Tense, Ruby Rose-centric, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, Valentine's Day, White Rose Week 2020 (RWBY), and by that i mean it's heavily implied on weiss' end of things, but since it's in ruby's pov u only get a hint of angst ur welcome, i present to u: ruby rose! the oblivious disaster gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24316321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwillwalk500miles/pseuds/iwillwalk500miles
Summary: (White Rose Week 2020: school + valentine)“You’re like my best friend.” Ruby says.“That says a lot about the other people you hang out with.” Weiss says back.Or;Ruby notices that Weiss is painting her nails red, she realizes it might not be because it's Valentine's day.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Series: Genesis' White Rose Week Prompts for 2020!! [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776382
Comments: 22
Kudos: 185





	love has always had a way of having bad timing

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably the shortest one shot for white rose week i've written rip me

“I think we should do something for Valentine’s day.” Ruby says, flipping through her book. She lays on her stomach, kicking her legs up and down as she reads, her eyes flickering from the pages to her best friend.

Weiss sighes, blowing a little hair out of her face as she paints her nails. White hair falls down around her shoulders and back, and Ruby can’t help the bit of warmth in her chest that comes with it. 

_Nobody else gets to see this._ She thinks smugly, before frowning. Why was she so happy about that? There was a funny bubbling in her chest, and she finds herself absentmindedly reaching up to scratch at her collarbones, almost as though that would relieve the strange sensation. Deciding to ignore the weird thoughts and feelings, she looks up again—only to find Weiss eyeing her curiously. 

“Why?” She wrinkles her nose, disturbing the pale dusting of freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and cheekbones.

“‘Cause what else are we gonna do on Valentine’s day? You’ve already turned down Jaune’s invitation to the dance—”

“He still hasn’t taken the hint.” Weiss grumps with a roll of her eyes.

“—and you insist that you and Sun aren’t a thing—”

“Because we aren’t.” She says, frowning now.

“—so why not spend the day with me instead of some boy?” Ruby whines, batting her eyelashes and looking up at Weiss with a pout on her face. “C’mon, Weiss! It’ll be fun—like a friends day or something!” When Weiss still looked dubious, Ruby made a pitiful noise in the back of her throat. “We don’t even have to go out anywhere! We can just sit around and watch movies or something.”

“Ruby.” Weiss sighes, spinning on her chair to look at her, eyes narrowed slightly. “You know that...” She purses her lips, the action softening her features enough so that the sharp blue of her eyes aren’t so intimidating. “I’d love to, but—”

Ruby deflates, sighing dramatically. “Fiiiine.” She turns back to her book, trying to ignore the weird throbbing feeling in her chest. “I guess I’ll just hang out with someone else, Penny invited me to go to the dance with her and Pyrrha—they were gonna have some sort of ‘singles night’ whatever that’s supposed to be.” 

“She did?” A strange expression crosses Weiss’ face.

“Yeah.” Ruby shrugs, flopping on her back and extending the book above her. She squints at the words, knowing that reading was futile in the same room as her best friend. "I said no originally, ‘cause I—” She falters for a second, “—uh, ‘cause I don’t really like school dances, too loud and crowded and I’d be forced to wear stupid lady stilts, y’know? But she said that if I changed my mind the invitation was still open.” 

“I see.” Weiss murmurs quietly, and Ruby closes her eyes tight so she doesn’t feel the temptation to turn and look at her face. “Well... if you go, have fun.”

“Mhmm.” Ruby hums absentmindedly, considering herself for a moment. “Actually, probably not.” 

“You won’t have fun if you go?” Weiss asks, an amused sound escaping her mouth.

“Well I guess, but also I’m not gonna go.” Ruby sighs, flipping back on her stomach to look Weiss in the eye. “I mean, it sounds like fun? But only because Penny and Pyrrha would be there, but..." She purses her lips, almost giving in to the desire to avert her gaze. "I don't want to be around so many people, and besides, I don’t usually do anything for Valentine’s day ‘cause I never had a reason too—maybe I’ll just play games with Uncle Qrow like last year.” And the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that—

“You’ve... you’ve never celebrated Valentine’s day?” There was that weird expression on Weiss’ face again, the one that made Ruby’s head spin and stomach churn. 

“Well, not really—I mean sometimes Dad has stuff for me and Yang, but that hardly counts I think. I mean, seriously, I’ve never had a reason to really go out and do something.”

“But... But you just invited me to do something with you?” Weiss points out, looking adorably confused.

“Well, _yeah_.” Ruby rolls her eyes, ignoring the flush on her cheeks. “It’s ‘cause it’s you—who else am I gonna spend it with? Yang’s taking Blake on some fancy date and Blake's like my only other friend that won’t make it weird.”

Weiss’ gaze was startlingly intense, her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of what Ruby was saying. It wasn’t as though what she had said was overly complicated, and Weiss was really really smart, so she couldn’t understand why Weiss was so hung up on it.

“Ren and Nora—”

“Would make it weird.” Ruby interjects. “They’re practically married and Ren doesn’t even know it yet, don’t want to have to suffer through all that.”

“Jaune—”

“Pyrrha would be sad and I don’t want to see that, plus she doesn’t deserve it.” Ruby says back to her, waving the suggestion away. 

“I wasn’t proposing you go on a date with him.” Weiss says, clearly startled. “I’d _never_ suggest that.” She protests vehemently, and then pauses, her cheeks flushing. “I mean, he’s _Jaune_ , that’s... for lack of better word, _gross_.”

“Haha.” Ruby sits up on her bed, “Sometimes I feel bad for how mean you are to him, but I also really wish he’d take a hint.”

“Indeed.” Weiss murmurs, turning back to her nails with a sigh. They’re the same color she always paints them, pale blue. Sometimes she let’s Ruby draw little snowflakes on them in silver, but it looked like that wasn’t going to be happening tonight. “How about Oscar—”

“I don’t want people to think we’re dating, he’s like... fourteen, a kid still.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you go on a date.” Weiss rolls her eyes, eyeing Ruby for a moment before turning away with a sigh. “I know that he doesn’t get out much, is all, and I’ve found myself... concerned for him.”

“Concerned?” Ruby blinks. “For Oscar?”

“Yes.” Weiss nods resolutely, “He’s practically a baby, it would be unbecoming of me _not_ to be concerned for him... I even entertained the thought of introducing him to Whitley, to kill two birds with one stone.” Her lips twisted, “Though my brother was more than averse to the idea.”

“Like a play-date?” Ruby asks, tilting her head. “‘Cause they’re both little kids?”

Weiss snorts, pressing a palm over her mouth to smother her sudden laughter. “Yes, I suppose that’s an adequate word for it.”

Ruby felt something in her chest warm, a rushing heat surging through her fingers and toes. A dopey smile twists her lips, and she has to force herself to look away. Something about the way that Weiss had done that, the startled and sheepish qualities to the sound of her laugh, made her heart beat just a little faster.

“Anyway.” Weiss waves away her smile, “ _You’re_ one to talk about being a little kid.”

“I’m sixteen!” Ruby protests immediately, something heavy in the back of her head making her voice a little higher than usual.

“I’m eighteen, therefore, you are a child to me.” Weiss says, though there is a dark look in her eyes, and Ruby recognizes it as guilt.

(Why did that make her feel that way?)

It makes Ruby hurt.

“Ouchie, Weiss.” She laughs, though it comes out weak. “That was kinda mean.” It stings for reasons that Ruby doesn’t understand, that she can’t find herself focusing on. Maybe it’s because Weiss is older than her, maybe it’s because she’s insecure about being in her last year in high school two years before everyone her own age, maybe it’s because of something else entirely—but it makes Ruby’s lips wobble.

“It’s...” Weiss looks panicked suddenly, using the rolling chair of Ruby’s desk to slide closer to the bed. “It’s not as though that means anything of substance, Ruby. You’re still a very... You’re still a very important person to me.”

It’s quiet suddenly, and the urge to fill the silence makes words slip from her mouth. And she doesn’t quite mean to, but she can’t help it—the admission of Weiss’ importance in her life.

“You’re like my best friend.” Ruby says.

“That says a lot about the other people you hang out with.” Weiss says back.

“Just because I like you better?” She asks, shaking off the chill that came with ‘best friend.’ It felt... not wrong, exactly—but incomplete, as though there was a quality she was missing.

“What does liking me better have to do with it?” Weiss responds, recoiling a little. She’s close to Ruby, maybe a couple of inches away, the chair positioned at the head of the bed where she lay.

“Well I mean, that’s what a best friend is, right?” Ruby rambles, “The friend that you spend the most time with, the one that you wanna see all the time?”

_She wants to see Weiss all the time?_

_Yeah._

_Oh... didn't know that._

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Weiss raises an eyebrow, doing her best to look haughty, but there is a blush on her face that her pale skin can’t quite hide.

“Uh, bit of both.” Ruby laughs, running a hand through her hair, pushing it back and out of her face. She looks up to see Weiss staring with a look she’s seen before but doesn’t recognize.

“Well—other than you—I suppose I’ve never had a best friend before, so I can't exactly give you a very accurate or satisfying answer.” She crosses her arms, jutting her chin and getting that look on her face that means she doesn’t want to admit she doesn’t know something.

“Huh?” Ruby tilts her head.

“I don’t know.” Weiss deflates, rocking back in the rolling chair, her head snapping backward as she avoids Ruby’s gaze.

“Then just say that next time.”

“I _did_ say—” Weiss looked up, seeing the innocent smile on Ruby’s face. She lets out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You did that on purpose.”

“Of course.” Ruby beams at her, and it feels like for a moment her mouth might split open her cheeks. "I love you too, bestie."

“No.” But Weiss was smiling, and that was enough for Ruby. The atmosphere becomes loaded, warm and toasty in a way that makes it hard for Ruby to stop grinning back at her. Weiss blinks, breaking the tense moment and opening her mouth before letting it fall closed with a sigh. “I’ll come over.” She says after a moment, looking away and rolling back to Ruby’s desk where she’d left the nail polish.

“What?” Ruby blinks.

Weiss’ shoulders stiffen ever so slightly. “On Valentine’s day, I’ll come over.”

“Oh.” And the burst of happiness in her chest shocks her. “Awesome!”

* * *

“I made cookies.” Ruby exclaims as she opens the front door, startling Weiss backward. She laughs, reaching forward to tug Weiss into the kitchen, proudly gesturing to them before crossing her arms smugly. “Well? What do you think?”

“They’re heart shaped.” Weiss says, leaning forward to get a closer look at them. “And pink.”

“Of course! It’s Valentine’s day.” Ruby says, wondering why Weiss couldn’t pick up on something that was clearly obvious.

“I...” Weiss took a deep breath, reaching into her shoulder bag to pull out a small red gift bag. “Here.” Her cheeks were flushed, and as soon as Ruby carefully took the bag out of her hands she was recoiling backward as though burned.

“Uh.” Ruby held it in her hands as if it was more precious than gold. (And it was from Weiss, so of course it was.) “You got me something?” She didn’t mean to sound so surprised, but the idea that Weiss was thinking about her to the extent of actually _getting_ her something was a wonderful surprise.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Weiss asks, her voice coming out as more defensive than she had clearly meant it to.

“No reason!” Ruby hastily reassures her, “I just... I just wasn’t expecting something.”

Weiss had a frown on her face, her brows furrowed and lips puckered, and Ruby couldn’t help but think that even then she was such a nice thing to look at. “I can take it back if—”

“ _No_! No, it’s uh, I love it.” Ruby hastily tried to reassure Weiss, moving forward and pulling her into a hug, her arms going around her neck.

“You haven’t even opened it.” Weiss grumbles, not quite hugging back but not pulling away either.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t love it!” Ruby grins, bounding backward to her cookies. 

“Just open it, you dunce.” Weiss says with a roll of her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and averting her gaze.

“I thought you were gonna stop calling me that!” Ruby pouts, peeking into the bag and pulling out the paper.

“Fine, halfwit.” Weiss retorts.

“So _mean_ to me.” Ruby sighs dramatically, beginning to pull out her gift. “How will I ever survive— _oh my god, Weiss!_ ”

“What?” She grumbles, looking more sullen than usual.

“This is—!” Ruby trips over her words, her face going a deep shade of crimson. “This is—!”

“A present.” Weiss rolls her eyes, moving toward the stairs and grabbing the back of Ruby’s hoodie to tug her along. “Don’t think about it.”

“How can I not think about it?!” She yells out, stumbling backward and spinning to be able to follow Weiss up the stairs easier. “You got me a—”

Weiss spins on the step, reaching down and grabbing Ruby by the collar of her shirt—making Ruby yelp. “Don’t. Think. About. It.”

Her gaze was startling, icy blue darkening in warning as her lips pursed in displeasure. They were nose to nose, and Ruby couldn't help but think of the way that Weiss was gripping the collar of her shirt, the way that she could feel Weiss' breath on her face. She smelled like mint and vanilla and every wonderful thing that Ruby couldn't quite put a name to, but it was enough to make her head feel like a fish bowl during an earthquake—the water sloshing over the sides of the glass as the ground shook. She doesn't know what this feeling is, what is making her knees feel so weak and her fingers tremble as her breath escapes desperately from her mouth.

Ruby’s face felt like a forest fire, burning burning and burning—like her entire face had caught aflame and was searing the redness into her skin. For a moment she feared that the blush might be permanent, like Weiss would always be able to see what she had been reduced to—an embarrassed mess of confused feelings and shaky legs.

“‘Kay.” She barely manages to squeak out, trying to ignore the feeling of Weiss’ knuckles brushing lightly against her neck.

Weiss stares for a moment, before letting go and smoothing out the wrinkles she’d made in Ruby’s shirt. “Good.” And with that, she turns back to walk up the stairs and to Ruby’s room.

Ruby stood there, gaping for a second longer, before slapping at her red cheeks lightly and following after her.

* * *

“Hey what color is that.” Ruby asks later, watching as Weiss paints her nails with a bottle she doesn’t recognize. They’d fallen into their routine simple enough, Weiss fiddling with beauty products and Ruby reading on the bed while they either chatted aimlessly or relaxed in comfortable silence.

“Er.” Weiss froze, and Ruby noticed her hurry to hide away her hands.

Ruby rolls her eyes bounding upward and peeking over her shoulder. She let out a pleasant noise of surprise. “Oh, getting into the Valentine’s day spirit? I thought you didn’t want to do anything else.”

“It’s not—that isn’t—” A disgruntled sigh. “...I just liked the color.”

“Red.” Ruby laughs, falling back against her bed and grinning.

Weiss goes very still, and then mutters quietly, “Yes.”

The way she says it makes Ruby freeze. “Um, you like red things? I mean you’ve worn some before but this seems...” She swallows the lump in her throat. “Different.”

“Different?” Weiss asks, her voice unreadable.

“Yeah.” Ruby swallows roughly, suddenly _very much_ aware of the awkward stuttering of her heart in her chest. “Different.”

“You’re attending Beacon next year right?” Weiss asks, spinning to face her.

Ruby blinks, startled at the sudden change in topic. “Uh, yeah I got a scholarship.”

“I...” She shakes her head, closing her eyes up tight before taking a steadying breath that makes Ruby’s head spin in concern. “If you still want to know why it’s different, ask me then.”

“But that’s like six months away!” Ruby protests, not being able to help the shock in her voice. “That long for an answer to my question, seriously?”

“I have faith in your patience.” Weiss says through grit teeth.

“Well I don’t!” Ruby straightens her back, frowning and forcing away her confusion at her best friend’s strange behavior. “C’mon Weiss, just tell me!”

“It—” She grits her teeth, letting out a sigh of frustration. Weiss stood abruptly from her seat, walking toward her and standing in between Ruby’s seated legs. She gapes, watching as Weiss seems to have an internal war with herself, and then move forward.

Weiss gently cups Ruby’s cheek, towering over her. Her eyes went wide at the sudden steel in Weiss’ gaze, a resolute stubbornness that had Ruby freezing in place. Using her other hand, Weiss brushes a bit of hair out of Ruby’s eyes, letting out a frustrated breath when it falls back in her face and pushing back the dark locks of hair. Finding that she couldn’t hide under her hair, Ruby’s eyes went impossibly wider, staring and trying to ignore the desperate and fiery burning in her belly.

“You’re awfully quiet.” Weiss laughs, though the smile on her face is slightly forced. She looks down, away from Ruby’s face, and white bangs fall into her eyes. Her shoulders were shaking.

“Weiss—”

“Don’t hate me.” Weiss murmurs, her voice more vulnerable than Ruby had ever heard before. She removes her other hand from her hair, putting it on the other side of Ruby’s face so that she was cupping it with both palms.

“I could never hate you.” Ruby says immediately, her voice a gasping, breathless rush. It was like the air in her lungs was struggling to pump oxygen into her brain, the burning blush in her face and ears not helping in the slightest.

Weiss laughs, a tiny bitter and somehow infinitely elated thing, and presses her lips to Ruby’s forehead.

Ruby goes still, clenching the sheets of her bed desperately as she tries to come to terms to what just happened, to what still _is_ happening. Weiss’ lips were smooth and warm, pressed against the skin of her forehead and sending strange shivers down Ruby’s spine.

“I—uh.” Ruby stammers when Weiss pulls away, her palms dropping from her cheeks. Without thinking, she grips both of the falling hands in her own, squeezing them as she looks up at Weiss. “You kissed me.”

Weiss smiles, a tired thing. “I did.”

“So... why? What did—? Can you—?” Ruby’s cut off by Weiss wrapping her in a hug, standing in between her legs with her chin positioned on top of her head. Ruby’s arms go around her waist.

“Please be patient.” Weiss murmurs against her hair. “ _Please_.”

Weiss didn’t just _say_ please.

“I will.” Ruby says, her voice muffled when she buries her face in her neck. “Of course I will, if it ends in you doing something like that again.” 

She doesn’t know where the words come from, doesn’t know why her face burns like the sun as they slip from her mouth, but knows that they were the right thing to say when Weiss grips her tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> i can't believe i got the title to this fic from 'tell me' by groove theory,,,, actually i can the song is a bop
> 
> (oh, and i dunno what weiss got ruby but it was probably something really expensive.)
> 
> anyway, this feels like a more childish tone than what i usually write with... pls tell me your guy's thoughts in the comments


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